Garden Bed Amendments IV – Products that change soil
structure
Soil amendments are anything you can add to the soil to
improve its nutritional value, water retention, drainage, structure and
aeration to create a better environment for plant root development or increase
or decrease drainage or slow soil erosion.
Soil amendments can also be considered products that you can use on top
of the soil to retain moisture, slow erosion, manage weeds, moderate soil
temperature, increase aesthetics and aid in plant growth. They can be either organic or inorganic.
Always follow the label for all products. We strongly recommend you get a soil test
before adding any nutrients to your soil.
This will give you a clear understanding of what might be missing from
your garden’s soil. You can use a
company like Agricultural Soil Management, Inc. in Champaign, IL to do your
soil test or go to
http://urbanext.illinois.edu/soiltest/
for a listing of companies.
Some of the following products are easy to find at your
local Independent
Garden Center
but others may be difficult to find stocked.
Some of these products have suitable substitutions that your local
Garden Center experts can suggest for you, but if you really have your heart
set on one product or a brand of product, you can talk to them and they may be
able to special order it for you.
Rice Hulls
Renewable resource that is not
environmentally disruptive. However, it is usually produced outside the U.S.
Decomposable
Creates air
pockets and increases porosity for both air and water channels
Increases
drainage
Has some
water holding capability
Lightweight
Some brands
have OMRI label for organic growing
Keeps soil
loose and not compacted but for a short period of time
Green Sand
Inorganic – but a natural mineral
that is mined
May be used in Organic Gardening
It is rich in trace nutrients
Helps loosen compacted soils
Will not burn plants and can be
used at any time of the year either incorporated or as a top dress
It is a
slow release fertilizer supplying micronutrients
Horticultural Charcoal
Some people
say it may absorb impurities; there is very little evidence for this claim
Used in the garden will improve
drainage
Often used
in terrariums or indoor houseplant containers that have no drainage
Pebbles/Stone
Inorganic –
but occurs naturally in nature
Used as a
top dress to lessen weed growth and help soil erosion
Increases
aesthetic beauty as a decorative soil covering
Creates
drainage or increases drainage both in the garden or in containers
Used as
pathway material
Will add
weight to lightweight containers to keep them from tipping over
Vermiculite (Garden Grade only)
Inorganic – but a natural mineral
that is mined
Comes in fine, medium, and coarse
(medium and coarse are usually what is used in gardening)
“Square Foot Gardening” practices
made famous by Mel Bartholomew requires it in his method
Lightweight
Adds no nutrients to the garden but
Retains added nutrients for later use by the plants
Retains moisture
Increases drainage
Keeps soil loose and not compacted
Perlite
Inorganic –
but a natural mineral that is mined all over the world
Slow to
break down
PH neutral
Helps
retain moisture
Creates air
pockets and increases porosity for both air and water channels
Lightweight
great for rooftop gardens
Adds no
nutrients to the garden
Keeps soil
loose and not compacted
Inert
Peat Moss
Naturally
occurring organic substance
You want to
purchase peat that has been harvested in a sustainable manner
Improves
water movement and air circulation of soils
Holds
twenty times it weight in water and slowly releases
Can be used
to bind sandy soils
Reduces
leaching of nutrients by holding them until it is used by the plant
Keeps soil
loose and not compacted for a certain period of time
Can also be
used as a top dress for new seeds such as lawn or wildflower areas
Slightly
acidic
Coir
 |
| Coir Coco Moss |
Fibrous
pulp from the husks of coconuts
Renewable resource that is not
environmentally
disruptive. However, it is usually produced
outside the U.S.
Free of bacteria and fungal spores
Slightly acidic
Will retain moisture
Keeps soil loose and not compacted
for a certain period of time
Creates air pockets and increases
porosity for both air and water channels
Can be used to line containers or
baskets to hold a potting medium in the container
Does have some minor nutritional
benefit
Long Fiber Sphagnum Moss
It is not
peat moss but is a perennial plant that grows back
Renewable
resource
Sourced in
the United States
Holds
twenty times its weight in water
Repels
bacteria
Used as a
soil covering for container plants
Used to
line baskets or containers to hold potting media in the container
Used to
create a nice aesthetic look that is very natural
Used as all
or part of the potting media for some container plants such as orchids
 |
| Sand |
Sand
This is a naturally
occurring material comprised of
rock and some minerals
It
increases drainage and helps break up clay soils
Creates air pockets and increases
porosity for both air
and water channel
Used as a top dress
May be used in organic gardening
Definitions
Top dress – to apply product on top of the soil or garden
surface to either add nutrients, limit weed seed germination or weed growth,
retain moisture, deter soil erosion, increase aesthetic beauty
Leaching – Water soluble plant nutrients are lost due to
over-watering or the soil’s inability to hold on to those nutrients for later
use
PH – is the measure of acidity to basic from #1 to #14
PH neutral – is in the middle of the PH scale at #7
Slightly Acidic – to lower the PH
Slightly Basic - To sweeten the soil, to raise the PH often
associated with lime products
N-P-K – Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium are often
depicted as number on plant fertilizers (i.e. 10-10-10)
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